Upon Having Dealt and Moved On
by Willow Fireheart
Summary: Spike has set up a big surprise for Buffy in the Bronze, set five years after the events of 'Dealing and Moving On.' [Completed]


                        UPON HAVING DEALT AND MOVED ON

Spoilers- BTVS- seasons 1-5, up to nearly the end of The Gift. 

Angel- mid season 3, after Conner's birth but before the whole kidnapping scheme.

Pairings- B/S, W/T, A/C, X/Anya, F/Gunn, Wes/ Faith.

Disclaimer- The characters and locations portrayed in this piece of fiction do not belong to me, but to Joss Whedon, Mutant Enemy and who ever else. The paperwork for transference of ownership is in the mail, they promised. They wouldn't lie, right?

Note- This fic is a follow up to one of my previous stories called **'Dealing and Moving on'**, you should probably read that before you read this as is set 5 years after that fic.

            Big thanks to my reviewers, you asked for more and here it is. Enjoy.

**

            "Come on you guys hurry up. I told Xander we would meet him at the Bronze in 20 minutes." Buffy stood at the bottom of the staircase, fastening her earrings. She sighed and yelled up the stairs again. "Dawn, Spike! If you're not down here in…"

            "What are you yelling at? Have the stairs been bad again?" Dawn grinned at her.

            Buffy huffed. "No. I thought you and Spike were still up stairs, you know getting ready?"

            Dawn gestured towards her clothes. "All dressed and ready to go. Actually I was just getting Spike his blood." She lifted the coffee mug in her hand to emphasize her point.

            Buffy blanched and turned towards the staircase as she heard Spike quickly run down. "Spike, look Dawn heated your blood for you." Her smile was fixed.

            Spike's face fell but he recovered quickly, pasting a fake grin on his face. "Thanks Lil' Bit, just what I wanted." He took the mug from her and sipped at it, trying not to grimace beneath his grin.

            Dawn smiled and turned back towards the kitchen. Spike quickly spat the blood back into the cup and started licking at his bare arm to remove the taste. Buffy made a face. "Was it that bad?"

            Spike just glared before saying, "It was hot sauce and crumbled up peanut butter crackers luv, what do think?"

            "Yuck!" Wrapping her arms around him Buffy grinned. "Admit it, your going to miss her and her seasonings when she moves out."

            Spike looked panicked. "What? She's not moving out! Not so long as I'm undead."

            Buffy couldn't help but smile. The past few years had been amazing. After she died for the second time, she and Spike had started dating. The other scoobies, namely Xander, were a little unsure of the relationship at first but they all came around when they saw how happy they were. Xander and Spike even became friends, but only after Buffy found them passed out on the porch one night having challenged each other to a drinking competition at Willies. Things got even better when Spike moved in with Buffy and Dawn and now even after five years Spike was constantly showing her how much he loved her. Buffy giggled, recalling how he had shown her last night.

            Spike ran his nose along Buffy's cheek. "I love the way your mind works."

            Buffy pulled back and slapped him on the arm. "Damn vampires and their enhanced senses. You're just a walking hormone aren't you?"

            He waggled his eyebrows. "Thought that's what you loved about me?"

            Buffy settled back into the comfort of his arms. "I love everything about you Spike, you know that."

            Spike closed his eyes and breathed in the scent of his slayer. "I know; I love everything about you too." Spike paused. "She's not moving out is she?"

            Buffy laughed. "She's going to one day Spike, she's 19. She's not going to want to live with us forever." She smiled softly up at him, after being together for 5 years she knew how his mind worked. "And she's going to be fine. We taught her well."

            Buffy looked at her watch. "Oh, we're going to be late. Dawn come on, we're late."

            Grumbling about bossy big sisters Dawn emerged from the kitchen. Buffy hurried them out the door, barely giving them time to grab their coats before locking the door.

                                    ***********************

            The party was in full swing by the time the trio arrived at the Bronze. Buffy mocked glared at Dawn and Spike. "See you two made us late."

            In union Dawn and Spike rolled their eyes at her. "Yeah right!" "Sorry 'bout that luv."

            Buffy moved into the room, searching for her friends. Spotting them at one of their regular tables she tugged Spike over. Suddenly feeling cheerful she bounced to a stop. "Hey guys! What's up?"

            Xander removed his face from the crook of Anya's neck. "Hey Buff, Spike, Dawnie. Your late."

            Anya smiled brightly. "They were probably having orgasms. You were having orgasms weren't you? Well not Dawn. Unless you have recently entrapped a male for your pleasure. Have you?"

            Dawn flushed tomato red and soundlessly stammered. Anya continued, ignoring Spike's growls. "Or would you rather a female? Willow and Tara seem to enjoy it."

            Willow grinned wickedly. "Oh yeah."

            Dawn squeaked. "No, no I'm fine. Don't worry about me." She looked towards the bar. "I'm going to get a drink. Anybody want?"

            Tara raised her empty glass. "I could do with another. But Dawnie- "

            Dawn held up her hand. "Non-alcoholic. I know, wouldn't want to hurt the baby now would we?" She turned and pushed her way through the crowd, making her way to the bar.

            Willow slid her arms around Tara's middle and pulled Tara back to rest on her. Idly Willow ran her hands over Tara's rather obvious bump, tracing patterns onto the fabric covering it. She couldn't help but sigh happily; thanks to Tara, her friends and Oz's sperm donation, right now her life was perfect.

            Xander smiled at his oldest friend. He looked down at Anya, the woman that four short years ago became his wife. Xander pressed a kiss to her brow. Anya looked up at him suspiciously. "What was that for?"

            Xander bent down and captured her lips in a sweet kiss. Pulling back he left his arm around her shoulders. "Just because I love you Mrs. Harris." 

            Anya grinned dreamily and caressed her rings. Buffy had taken a seat next to her. She nudged Anya and questioned her. "You still get a kick out of that don't you?"

             Anya looked at her as if she was crazy. "Of course, these rings have great economic value."

            Buffy shook her head at Anya. "No I mean being called Mrs. Harris. It still gives you a gooey feeling."

            "It probably always will. Especially when I think about how close we came to calling it off."

            Buffy nodded. "Yeah, I'm glad that you two worked out your problems. You two, you just work."

            Anya nodded. "I know, but so do you and Spike, his parts do work don't they? You get lots of orgasms?"

            Buffy nodded. "Oh yeah, that's not the problem. I love Spike and I know he loves me but…" She glanced towards Spike making sure he was engrossed in watching the band. "I'm never going to have that. Vampires generally not real big on marriage and weddings." 

            Anya looked at her closely. "So why stay with him?" she asked, already knowing the answer; hey over a thousand years of working with love struck women had taught her something.

            Buffy stared at Spike, taking in his profile, unaware he was listening carefully- his entire plan depended on her answer. "Because I love him, and that's all that matters. Weddings, marriages, and babies I can give it all up so long as I have Spike."

            Anya grinned slyly. "Maybe you won't have to." She answered cryptically. Buffy looked confused. "Huh?"

            Any answer Anya could have given was interrupted by Dawn's arrival. "Hey guys look who I found at the bar."

            Buffy looked up to see the entire LA crew including her sister slayer Faith. Shocked Buffy waved. "Hey."

            They grinned back at her. "Hi."

            Faith looked at her feet. "Hey B." She peered up at her. They had spoken over the phone since Faith had made parole, but this was the first time the two slayers had been in the same room since Faith turned herself in to the police. Faith felt a hand slip into hers; she gripped it tightly and smiled thankfully up at Wesley.

            Buffy hopped up off her stool and stood in front of Faith. Suddenly she enveloped Faith in a tight embrace. "Hi Faith."

            Breaking apart both slayers wiped tears from their eyes. Spike came and stood behind Buffy and she leaned against him gratefully. "So what are you lot doing in good old SunnyHell?"

            Angel's eyes darted around the Bronze. "Oh you know, this and that. Visiting old friends and the such."

            Cordelia rolled her eyes. "Real smooth." She muttered under her breath as she elbowed Angel in the ribs. "I had to visit my parents so the others decided to come to. Then you know I realized that you haven't seen Conner yet so here we are." The lies rolled easily off her tongue. 

            Dawn searched through them to find her favorite fang gang member. She frowned, not seeing him. "Hey, where's Lorne?"

            Gunn started to laugh as Fred explained through her giggles. "He's still with Cordy's parents. They're having a sing-a-long."

            They all laughed, imaging the green demon conducting an old-fashioned sing-a-long with Cordelia's parents. Angel cleared his throat and gestured subtly. Spike nodded. "Right. Hey Sire they serve this drink here that you really gotta try."

            The two vampires quickly scurried away. Buffy stared after them; she turned to Cordelia. "What was that about?" 

            Cordelia shrugged. "I don't know, Childe, grandsire bonding? Here why don't you hold Conner?" She quickly transferred the three year old into Buffy's arms, suitably distracting her.

                                    ************************

            Almost half an hour later Angel returned to the table, to find them talking and laughing. He kissed Cordelia on the head and lifted her up to quickly scoot into her seat, placing her on his lap. Buffy looked up from playing with Conner. She frowned. "Hey, where's Spike?"

            Angel squirmed, uncomfortable with lying to the slayer. "He had something to do. He should be back soon."

            Buffy stared at him, knowing he was keeping something from her. She had just opened her mouth to question him when the lights dimmed. Conner whimpered. Buffy dropped a kiss onto his curls. "Hey now its okay."

            Shufflings on the stage could be heard, then a short pause of silence before the music started once more. The lights on the stage came back up, leaving the rest of the place in darkness. Buffy gasped and pointed towards the stage. "Dingoes Willow its Dingoes."

            Willow smiled at her. "Yeah it is."

            Buffy started to hum along with the song. She had memorized this song; it was her song, well her and Spike's song anyway. She continued to hum as the familiar strains of Good Charlotte's 'Hold On' washed over her, taking her back to the first time she had heard the song. It was the year after she died again, it had been a bad week for the blond slayer; more bills had poured in, Anya was trying to get her to wear this horrible green bridesmaid dress for her and Xander's wedding, she had had a visit from the social worker, Dawn's school had called reporting that Dawn hadn't completed any of her homework this week- this was due to another thwarted apocalypse but she couldn't very well tell the principle that, and she had been knocked back for a job, again. She was sitting on the couch sobbing when she felt Spike's arms around her. After a while she stopped crying, content to be in Spike's arms. Dawn had left the radio on some unknown station and this song had started to play. It was then that she knew that she could handle it, her Mom was right it just took practice and it was then that she asked Spike to move in with her.

            The song ended and a spotlight rose on a person standing in front of the stage. He slowly walked forward, microphone in hand and light bouncing off his bleached hair. He stopped in front of Buffy. Seeing Buffy's shocked state Cordelia quickly took Conner out of her arms.

            Spike took one of Buffy's hands in his. "Buffy Summers I love you. Meeting you changed my life. You kicked my arse a few times," He chuckled. "And you made me a better man. You give me a reason to fight, a reason to get up, and a reason to stay on this godforsaken planet. You are my life, my heart and my soul. And that's why…" He reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet box. Opening it he sunk down onto one knee. "Buffy Summers will you do me the great honor of joining your life to mine? Here, on this very night?"

            Tears silently trickled down Buffy's face. She threw herself into Spike's arms. "Yes, yes Spike yes." She covered his face with kisses.

            Spike slipped the ring on her finger. She looked at it, still sniffing slightly. She held her hand up for the others to see. "Guys, I'm getting married, tonight." She frowned and turned to Spike. "No not tonight. We can't, not tonight."

            Spike's face fell. "Oh okay luv." He turned his head. Buffy gently gripped the sides of his face and turned his head towards her. "Giles isn't here. He promised to give me away."

            Spike's face lit up with his grin. "Is that all pet? Got that all figured out."

            "What? Spike what are you talking about?"

            Spike gestured towards the front door of the Bronze, where Giles stood. He held Xander and Anya's two-year-old daughter, Jesse, in his arms. Next to Giles stood a celebrant, with all the paperwork they needed. With a whisper Willow produced a bouquet and presented it to Buffy and Xander pulled the wedding rings out of his pocket.

            Buffy laughed. "You really did think of everything didn't you?"

            Spike nodded. "Yep, even got the master's approval."

            Buffy frowned. "What master?"

            Spike nodded towards Angel. "Angel's the master of the Order of Aurelius since Darla died and he approves, gives his blessing."

            Buffy looked up at Angel. "You do?"

            Angel smiled down at them. "Of course, he loves you more than anything. Anyone can see that."

            Buffy swung her gaze around to Dawn. Dawn nodded silently, tears running down her face.  Buffy looked around at all her friends then turned to Spike. Dropping a kiss on his lips she agreed. "Okay, lets do it."

                                    *************************

            Dingoes Ate My Baby struck up the wedding march as Buffy and Giles made their way to Spike, who was situated at the end of the dance floor. They stopped in front of the celebrant. Slayer and Watcher faced each other. Tears welled up in Giles's eyes as he looked down at Buffy; he ran a finger down the side of her face, brushing back a curl. "My little slayer, all grown up and getting married."

            Impulsively Buffy hugged him. "Thank you Giles, thank you for being a father to me. I know it couldn't have been easy."

            "It wasn't, but nothing good ever is. I'm proud of you Buffy." Giles cleared his throat and turned to Spike. They shook hands. "Take care of her Spike." Spike swallowed hard at the threat in Giles's eyes. "Don't worry Rupert I will."

            Giles stepped back, leaving Buffy and Spike with the celebrant. In years to come when someone would ask about their wedding ceremony neither Buffy nor Spike could really answer, all they could remember was that they were together and that they were in love.

            A cheer came from the crowd as they kissed, having been pronounced man and wife. They faced their friends, glad to be able to share their special day with the people that meant the most to them, the people that had become their family.

            After Buffy and Spike signed the papers the reception started. Spike had called in a few favors and had the reception catered for free of charge. The next few hours passed in feasting, talking, and dancing.

            Taking a break from dancing Buffy sat at the table, watching her friends dance. She laughed at Faith, she was trying to get Wesley to dance her way while Wesley was trying to show her how to waltz. Buffy shivered as a cool breeze caressed her. She concentrated; sure she could hear a familiar voice. She smiled, feeling her heart fill with joy. "I love you too Mom."

            Buffy let out a squeal as Spike grabbed her and headed towards the dance floor. She laughed as she danced with her new husband, secure in the knowledge that together they could handle anything.

**

            Okay so what do you think? I'm considering writing another piece dealing with the whole kids issue. Let me know what your ideas and I'll see what I can do.  


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